Belgrade: mother and daughter hit on Bulevar Peke Dapcevica, driver identified

The driver who struck two pedestrians, a mother and her daughter, on Bulevar Peke Dapcevica in Belgrade has been identified. Traffic police have already brought him in for questioning, according to a statement from the Belgrade City Police Administration dated May 27.

The accident took place the previous evening around 8:30 p.m. The pedestrians were hit on a marked crosswalk in the Vozdovac borough.

Both were rushed to the Emergency Centre. According to sources close to the emergency services, they suffered minor to moderate injuries. Their lives are not in danger, but they have been kept under observation.

Driver located through CCTV

The driver left the scene after the crash. A traffic patrol located him quickly with the help of surveillance camera footage.

After being brought into police premises, he gave a statement and was sent for a breath test. The results have not been officially released.

What the prosecutor’s office has ordered

The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade is leading the pre-investigation. Two examinations have been ordered:

• forensic examination of the vehicle at the Centre for Traffic-Technical Expertise
• toxicology screening of the driver
• review of surveillance footage from the accident zone

The criminal offence of aggravated endangerment of public traffic under Article 297 of the Serbian Criminal Code carries a sentence of six months to five years in prison when injuries are minor. If the offence of failure to render aid under Article 296 is also established, the sentence falls in the same range. The final classification rests with the prosecutor’s office and forensic findings.

According to sources close to the investigation, the driver was travelling above the speed limit at the moment of impact. The pedestrians were crossing the boulevard on a marked crosswalk. These claims will be subject to forensic review.

Pedestrian fatality statistics

The Road Safety Agency, in a general comment on pedestrian safety, notes that the number of pedestrians killed and injured on crosswalks over the past year was among the highest in three years.

The Belgrade Emergency Medical Service said the response unit arrived at the scene eight minutes after the call. The injured were taken to the nearest medical centre with surgical capacity.

Next steps

The next procedural step involves the delivery of the traffic-police report to the prosecutor’s office, along with the vehicle technical-condition report and the driver’s toxicology results. Any motion to detain rests with the prosecutor’s office. The ruling is then issued by the pre-trial judge.

Will the driver be placed in detention or short-term custody? Follow updates from the prosecutor’s office on our portal.